Ashok Vihar school team that has produced so many players under the One Thousand Hockey Legs project, has won the inaugural MK Kaushik-OTHL Cup in style, defeating combined Janakpuri 3-2 in the final held on Sunday at Shivaji Stadium, New Delhi.

Mrs. Kaushik, wife of Olympian Maharaj Krison Kaushik, popularly known as MK Kaushik, gave away the medals to the finalist teams and trophy to the winners. She also asked the young and aspiring players to emulate the kind of dedication her husband showcased in his entire life.

Mrs. Kaushik giving away trophy to silver winning Janakpuri school. MK Kaushik OTHL Cup 2024

“Kaushik Ji never stayed away from hockey even for a minute. His career was an exemplary dedication to the game of hockey. Only with that kind of devotion  you youngsters can achieve laurels in your career” she said at the closing ceremony.

Her elder son Eshan Kaushik, who is a sports entrepreneur, was also present.

Subhash of winning team Ashok Vihar won the Best Midfielder Award — mooted by MK Kaushik’s Moscow Olympics captain Padamshree Baskaran. The award carried his contribution of Rs.5000.

The final, witnessed by kids of all OTHL schools in New Delhi, was an electric one. Each team scoring alternatively but what turned the tide in favour of the ultimate winners was the field goal strike in the dying minutes by Lalit, the captain of the team.

Best Midfielder Akash

This was a fitting goal for the final” said Dronacharya award winning coach AK Bansal, who has been an ardent supporter of OTHL since inception.

14 boys and 7 girls teams took part in the inaugural edition, started on 20th March.

We started OTHL in 2008. We had then difficulty in getting School Heads to give permission to start hockey teams in their premises, though we offered coaching and equipment to all students free of cost. It was Mr Kaushik who got the first school in his locality. With that the OTHL took off’, said OTHL Founder K. Arumugam.

It worthwhile therefore the organization thought of organizing a tournament on the late Olympian’s memory. We lost him to COVID on 8th May 2021.

Interestingly, the awards function was compered by an aspiring student Nasmina Talukdar, a 10th standard student. Her presentation was such that — witty and precise — it won the hearts of many. Said V Basakaran in a social media post, ‘nice to see  girl students presenting the function in such a nice way”. 

Proud moment for captain Lalit

Brief history of MK Kaushik

Maharaj Krison Kaushik, popularly known as MK Kaushik, hails from Delhi, played for Tata Sports Club, Mumbai, in his hey days. He made his international debut at the Pakistan tour 1975 and graduated to play the Moscow Olympics where Indian men’s hockey team won the gold. He was also member of the home team when India hosted the World Cup for the first time in 1981-82. After retirement, he turned to coaching having done a course in the NIS, Patiala. He trained the girls initially before moving to Men. Under his tutelage, Indian men won the Asia Games in 1998 after 36 years’ gap. He afterwards had many intermittent spells of coaching with national women’s team. Served as coach of Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy before moving to National Hockey Academy in Delhi, when he had died due to COVID related issue. One of the rare players to get sporting excellence award Arjuna and coaching excellence award ‘Dronacharya’